Broiler unit



Aug. 8, 1944. H. MoEcKER, JR., ETAL 2,355,230

`BROLER UNIT med 1pm 1o, 1941 3 sheets-sheet 1 lllll l Aug 8, 1944. I-l.` MoEcKER, JR., ETAL 2,355,230

BROILER UNIT 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April l0, 1941 II II I Augfs, 1944- I H. MOECKER, JR., ET Al. 2,355,230-

BROILER UNIT Filed April 1o, 1941 3 Sheets-sheet 5 Patented Aug. 8, 1944 Henry Moecker, Jr., 4and William Lotter, Cleveland,` Ohio, assignors to American Stove Company, St. Louis, Jersey Mo., a corporation of New 'Application April `10, 1941, seriarNo. 387,968 4 ciaims. (C1. 12o-4 1) This inventionrelates to an improved broiler unit and pertains more particularly and specically to the provision of a simple yet highly eflicient mechanism for raising and lowering a movable broiler or broiler grid in the broiling oven of a cooking range. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a simple yet highly effective means for locking and retaining the broiler grid'in any one of a plurality of its set positions. A still further object is to provide a novel means for indicating the positions of the broiler grid in respect to the upper broiler burner.

Other specific objects, novel features of vconstruction and improvedl results of the invention will appear in more `detail from the following description when read in panying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front View, partly in the light of the' accomvertical section, through a broiler unit equipped with the present improved invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view, partly in vertical section, of the unit and construction illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view partly in vertical section of the grid raising and lowering and locking members.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken onthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3. p

In the drawings the grid is illustrated as being mounted in a broiler chamber `A `having inthe upper end thereof xed upper burnersB and in its bottom oppositely arranged lower burners C which are secured to the inner walls of `flue passageways I which are mounted for vertical reciprocation within the broiler chamber so as to zraise and lower the lower 'burners in lrespect to the upper burners. l

The grid Dis suitably supported upon a pair of trackways 2 which are oppositelyr disposed .at the sides of the broiler chamber and suitably secured to the inner walls 3 `of the flue passageways I so that the grid is raised and lowered with the lower burners C. The grid D at its front is.-

.providecl' with a handle 4 by which it maybe pulled outwardly from the oven to the.` position illustrated at 5 by dottedlines in Fig. 2`of the drawings. To facilitate this movement of the broiler grid it is provided at its under side with front and rear wheels or rollers 6 which are movable over thetrackways or supports2.

To provide for or accommodate the movement imparted to the lower burners-the fuel to these burners is conducted to these burners through suitable flexible conduits 1.

The body below the broiler chamber is provided with a suitable housing or chamber designated as an entirety atrE and on a front panel 8 of this housing are positioned handles 9 and I0 which alord individual control of theA flow of fuel to the lower burners C.

The mechanism by which the two conduits I 'and the attached lower burners and broiler grid are elevated and lowered is disposed within the lower range housing or chamber E with the excep- -tion oi the operating handle Il which handle is conveniently positioned in front of the housing E for manual manipulation by the operator of the range.

Each of the conduits or flues I which convey away the products of combustion from the lower burners is provided with a downwardly extending arm I2 which terminates in the lower range chamber E. The inlets I3 to these iiues are just above the burners and immediately below the grid. To each of the lower ends of the ue extension arms I2 is pivotally attached as at I 4 an arm I5 which extends towards the front of the range and is pivotally connected to a suitable rod or bar I6 supported by and extending along the inner side of the range front wall. Intermediate their lengths the arms I2 have a second pivotal connection with the range front or front frame through the instrumentality of arms Il one end each of which is pivotally connected to an arm I2 as at I8 while their other ends are pivotally supported on the range front frame as at I9.

To counterbalance the Weight of the mechanical parts making up the grid and carrier, the

*-ilues and the lower burnerswe provide a pair of counterbalancing springs 20 one end of which is attached to an angle iron bar 2l which interconnects the lower ends of the two flue extension arms I2 while the opposite ends 22 of the springs are connected to the bar or rod I9 which isthe pivotal support for the outer ends of the two arms IT.

From the descriptionY thus far given it will be seen that if a lifting force is imparted the lower :broiler burners the food and utensil supporting grid can be raised and lowered in the broiler chamber or oven A and that the grid can be pulled outwardly from the oven whenever desired for inspection of the cooking operation.

'I'he present invention pertains particularly to the'arrangement for raising and lowering the grid and broiler burners and for holding them in any one of a plurality of desired set positions. This raising and lowering operation is accomplished by manually swinging the handle II to the right or to the left and will now be explained in detail,v reference being made particularly to Figs. 2 to 4 of the drawings.

A horizontally disposed shaft 24 extends from front to rear of the chamber E being rotatably supported on the rear wall of that chamber as at 25 while its front end (Fig. 3 of the drawings) 'isrotatably supported in a suitable bearing or on the front frame of the range. A collar 29 holds the shaft .against'outward end movement. The shaft extends through and beyond'the leg 26 of its supporting bracket and on its outer end carries an arm or crank 29 which is keyed- 5Y or pinned to the shaft for rotation therewith.v

The lever l l extends through the front wall of the range chamber E and is provided with an enlarged end or head F. This head is pivotally secured as at 30 to the shaft crank arm 29. 1l At its upper end or edge the lever head is provided With a reduced inwardly, extending portion. which forms a lug or tooth 3l which is adapted to enter the space between the series of spaced' teeth 32 formed on the-gouter; face. of the shaft 15 supporting bracket arm 25 in a plane above the shaft. Y

'Ifhe lug or tooth ofgthe lever. is, normally held in locking engagement with the bracket arm teeth under the tension of a coil spring 33 which 20 is interposed between the lower end or edge 34 of the lever head and thelowermost end 35 of the shaft lever 29. v

Intermediate its length the shaft 24 is provided with an elongated downwardly extending 25 crank arm 36 the lower end of which is secured as `at 31 to the` angle bar 2| which interconnects the arms I2. y

The operation of the device isextremely simple. rl\lorrn 'illyl the grid and its associated parts are 30 locked against vertical movement` by reason of the interlocking engagement of the `lever lug or tooth 3| with the teeth on the shaft supporting bracket arm 26. VWhen it is desired to raise or lower the grid the lever Il is grasped and first 35 Yswung or pulled outwardly and downwardly which will cause itfto rock on its pivotal support 39 and bring about the disengagement of the lever lug or tooth'3l with the bracket teeth32. The lever Y, is then swung tothe right or left inA accordance 4'0 with the direction it is desired to move the grid. Swinging or rotating the lever will. rotate the shaft crank ar'rn 29 which will in turn rotate the shaft 24' and rotation ofthe shaft will cause the lifting and lowering of the'shaft crank. arm 45 36 Vand by reason 'of its attachment to the arms lZwill raise or lower ythe grid and its associated parts. It will be understood that as. th'egrid is raisedfand lowered it is supported andguided. in this movement by the cross arms l5 and l1. 50 For the convenience of the operator a posi-fA tion indicating plate 38 may be placedv at the front of the range behind the operating lever Il and a set screw 39 which extends through the 1.,-, coil spring 33 may be provided as anv adjustable 55 means to limitand form a stop to the rocking movement of the operating lever.

The plate 38 /ne'e'd not necessarilyv be provided but when provided merely indicates` the proper direction in which to swing the lever to move the-grid in the desired direction. The actual po-V sition of the grid can be visually ascertained inasmuch as the front of the broiling oven or charnber is open. If however the broiling oven or chamber is closed and thus visual inspection of the exact positioning of the grid is impossible it might be desirable to'place indicia. on the plate 38 by which'the exactipositioning of fthe grid in respect to the upper. broiler burner willLbeindicated. 70

The foregoing provides an extremely' simple and elcient means for elevating a broiler grid and'its associated parts and for' locking saidgrid in any one of a desired plurality'of positions in respect tothe upper broiler burner.

The invention is to be limited only within the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a cooking appliance, a cooking chamber having a burner and a grid therein, a horizontally. disposed and rotatably mounted shaft operatively connected with said grid for moving the same toward and away from the burnerl a verticallyextending handle provided with a head at its lower end, saidV handle head being pivotally connected to said shaft and adapted to oscillate .1 the shaft when said handle is oscillated, a fixed lock plate, said handle head provided with means adapted to interlock with said lock plate, means normally holding said handle head and lock plate s in interlocked relationship, and said handle being manually movable about its pivotal support to disengage its head with said lock plate. 2. A construction as defined in claim lfwherein said lock plate has a vertically disposed face provided. with a series of spaced projections, and said handle head means which interlocks with Vsaid lock plate is in the form of an extension movable over said platel projections and adapted ,to be selectively positioned in the space between any two of said plate projections.

3. In a cooking appliance, a cooking chamber having a grid and a burner therein, a rotatably mounted shaft horizontally disposed throughout its entire length and being operatively connected with said grid for moving the same toward and away from said burner when said shaft is oscil` lated, a bracket at one side of said Shaft, said bracket provided with a plurality of lock element receiving means, a vertically extending handle for oscillating said shaft, saidhandle being provided with a head operatively engaging the shaft for imparting oscillatory movement to the shaft, said shaft at its side opposite said bracket provided with an extendingV crank arm, said handle head being pivotally mounted on said shaft crank arm, said head being further Vprovided with a lock element adapted to selectively engage the lock-receiving means of the bracket, and means acting to normally hold the lock element of the head in locked relationship with the lock receiving means'of the bracket.

4. In a cooking appliance, a cooking chamber having a grid and a burner therein, means supporting said grid for vertical movement toward and away from said burner, a rotatably mounted shaft horizontally disposed throughout its entire length andibeing operatively connected with said grid for imparting said movement thereto,. a bracket' at one side. of said shaft andv provided with a bearing encircling and rotatably supporting; one end of said shaft, said bracket having a vertically disposed face provided with a plu'- ralityof lockv element receiving means, a verticallyy extending handle for oscillating said shaft,

""sa-id handle being provided with a head, said HENRY MOECKER, JR. WILIJAM Lo'rTER. 

